Waterloo startup aims to help improve women’s pelvic health
Smart rehabilitation device can help treat common issues that significantly impact quality of life
WATERLOO — The prizewinning idea came to Rachel Bartholomew while on bed rest after surgery for cervical cancer.
Bartholomew had already experienced issues with pelvic health years before the damaging cancer treatments and knew the rehabilitation device available was outdated and far from helpful.
“Women deserve way better than this,” she said.
She was determined to offer something better to the one in three women who experience pelvic health complications such as pain and incontinence that can have significant and long-lasting impacts on their quality of life.
“We don’t need to live with this every single day,” Bartholomew said.
Her smart pelvic rehabilitation device won the AGEWELL National Impact Challenge, which recognizes top Canadian startups developing technology-based solutions that could positively impact older Canadians or their caregivers. The competition, held earlier this month with six finalists, earned Bartholomew $25,000 in cash plus in-kind prizes.
Her company Hyivy Health — with an office in Waterloo, all its engineers are from the University of Waterloo — created an “intelligent” multi-purpose vaginal wand with multiple sensors. Along with providing in-home therapy, the data collected by the device can help both the woman and her health-care providers monitor treatment progress from the dilation sessions.
Early testing has found it decreases vaginal dryness, pelvic pain and vaginal scarring, while improving symptoms of incontinence.
Currently the only option available for the home treatment of pelvic health issues is a static dilator, which Bartholomew said is ineffective, painful and not significantly updated since 1938.
“No innovation has happened on it whatsoever.”
She was surprised to find how little help was available to women dealing with pelvic issues, and generally they’re just supposed to accept them as inevitable. Investors would say it’s a niche market, but in fact pelvic health issues are common.
“They’re not niche and there are considerable issues that need to be solved,” Bartholomew said. “We just don’t talk about it.”
Women like Bartholomew who had cancer surgery can suffer pelvic organ prolapse or scar tissue, and the risk of pelvic floor complications increases with age, as menopause often leads to dryness or prolapse.
“It’s part of our natural changes,” Bartholomew said. “We can’t just ignore our aging population.”
The connection with AGEWELL — a Canadian network that brings together researchers, older adults and organizations to speed the delivery of technology-based solutions — will be beneficial when clinical trials start next year.
They’ll facilitate a study with menopausal women, McMaster University in Hamilton will test the device with women who have endometriosis, and Grand River Hospital’s cancer centre in Kitchener will focus on radiation patients.
Bartholomew underwent daily radiation for cervical cancer at the Kitchener hospital, and while there for treatments chatted with staff about her idea for a device that could break down scar tissue and stretch the muscles.
“I have irreversible damage now from my cancer,” Bartholomew said.
The trials with several patient groups will provide clinical evidence needed to show the medical device is safe and effective before going onto the next step of securing regulatory approval.
Winning the prize, raising investments and seeing interest among those who want to provide better care to women of all ages is incredibly gratifying for Bartholomew.
“It’s been amazing.”